How Do You Recover from an FUE Hair Transplant?
by Dr. Andrew Kim, MD
Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) is the hair

Do not use a wiping motion, but dab the

transplant approach that has gained more

wet cotton ball instead. This will remove

preference because of the lesser risk that

the crusts without dislodging the hair

it has with scar formation. It does not

implants.

require

incisions

compared

to

the

traditional Follicular Unit Transplantation
(FUT), also known as the strip method.
But despite the techniques that make it
less invasive and relatively safer, you still
need to take certain precautions in order
to ensure that you end up with successful

For the next two weeks after your surgery,
you should avoid direct contact from the
sun and protect your scalp with sunscreen
or a hat. You should also sleep with your
head elevated by propping some pillows to
prevent swelling. By doing so, you also
hasten the healing time.

results.
With FUE, the follicular units (naturally
occurring hair groups in twos or threes)
are removed using a metal instrument with
sharp edges which has a hollow middle.
Unlike FUT, where a strip of scalp is
removed
extracted

before

each

through

a

hair

graft

is

high-powered

microscope, FUE has a more conservative
approach resulting to less healing and a
faster recovery time.
Another thing that makes FUE popular is
that it also provides a more natural-looking
result.
After the transplant, one of the most

A few days after the hair transplant
surgery you will notice scabs forming both
from the donor and recipient sites. Yes,
this is a sign which means that these
areas are healing. However it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
mean that you can just pick or scratch
them. You should just wait until they fall off
themselves, to ensure that the area is fully
healed. If you scratch them, you would just
be introducing infection and could damage
the hair grafts.
When we talk about the recovery time for
FUE, it is significantly lesser compared to
FUT for the reason that it does not have a
long linear wound. This is one of the major
reasons why FUT would take some time to
heal and has more risks for complications
such as bleeding or infections.

important things that you must remember
is to avoid washing your hair for the first
24-48 hours. It is at this time that the
implants are still at the most vulnerable to
damage and can be easily dislodged.
When recovering from FUE you still need
to make sure that you keep the wounds,

If you want to assure that you heal in time,
you must prepare your body to be healthy
enough to let the hair grafts thrive. It
should also be that you choose a good
surgeon who can perform this delicate job
with careful precision. With that, you can
ensure yourself to have a faster and
uncomplicated FUE recovery period.

no matter how small they are, constantly
cleansed. The donor site, as well as the
recipient area should be gently washed
using a wet cotton ball.

Dr Andrew Kim, MD
Hair Transplant Surgeon
Dr Andrew Kim is the founder and
Medical Director of Australian Institute
of Hair Restoration, a clinic specializing
in surgical hair restoration.
He has a team of highly-skilled hair
transplant technicians who address the
needs of their clients after a thorough
consultation.They operate in various
locations in Australia including Sydney,
Melbourne, and Canberra.
For more information on protecting,
enhancing and restoring your living and
growing hair, call 1300 733 092, or
learn more online at www.aihr.com.au.

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How Do You Recover from an FUE Hair Transplant?

Published on Jan 16, 2013

For more information on protecting, enhancing and restoring your living and growing hair, call 1300 733 092, or learn more online at www.aih...